10 ways to smarten up your study space

You may have never felt the need to de-clutter your desk, especially if it’s used more for housing your clothes than for homework. Well, here’s why it’s SO worth it! 

Cute décor not only makes your desk a more organized and productive workspace for you to study, but with a bit o’ customization, you’ll be in a better mood and actually want to (er, most of the time) study. Follow these 10 small changes to your desk to completely change your study ‘tude.


Desk Lamp and Organizer, $15, bedbathandbeyond.com

1 Lighten Up!
The most important thing to have for some serious crammin’ is good lighting. Sure, you’ve got an overhead light that spreads across the whole room, but putting more focus on your study area will actually draw your focus to it, too. This one with its organizational compartments is perfect for tight spaces.

Sharpie Accent Highlighters, $7, staples.com

2 Color-code your life
Nab a giant-sized calendar for your wall, and keep track of every detail with colorful markers or highlights. Code each category by color, some could be: school assignments (projects, tests, paper due dates…), extracurriculars (sports and clubs), appointments (doctor, dentist, haircut), and everything else. If you have enough colors, you can get even more specific. Soon, you’ll be able to easily recognize which categories are important on certain days and what you have to look forward to for the rest of the week.


3 Everything has a home
Don’t lose anything…EVER. Ya don’t wanna be searching around for a highlighter for so long that you forgot what was so important that it needed some neon. Separate as much as possible, forms and graded papers, pens and pencils, paperclips and thumbtacks.  If you don’t have the money or space to buy containers for everything, you can use Ziploc baggies!


4 Pin-up Girl
Keep your most important papers and things that are meaningful to you separate and easy to locate by using magnets with dry erase boards or cute bulletin boards like these.  Patterned ones are really easy to make! Just buy a plain corkboard and cover the front with fabric, then staple or glue it to the back of the board.
5 Remind yourself
Keep a to-do list on something stationary, instead of post-its or pieces of paper that can easily get lost in the clutter of everything else. Either put reminders on your bulletin board or use a dry erase board.
Mainstays Snap Box, $9, walmart.com

6 Hide the goodies
Have a “junk” box for random things that you don’t use often. This way all the stuff still has a home and won’t be left lying around on your desk. Try to find a box that has a lid so you can easy stack and store away.

7 Prioritize, prioritize
We totally get that your hot pink staple remover is too cute, but do you ever use it? It’s good to be prepared for anything, but if you don’t use it, put it away where it will take up less space and distract you less. You want to make as much work space as possible.

8 Don’t let your room take over
It’s so easy to throw something on your desk or dresser when you don’t feel like putting it away. And it’s oh-so tempting to have a snack or a soda with you to help you stay awake during study sessions. But all this stuff can distract your eye from the paper in front of you. If you’ve got piles of threads or other non-study items on your desk, store them away before you begin your books.

Picture Frame Decals, $39, pbteen.com

9 Let some happy in
While your cell or laptop can be super distracting while you’re trying to concentrate on algebra, there are SOME happy things that can help you out when you’re feeling stressed or tortured by integrals. Put up some pics of all your fave friends and loved ones to remind you that you’ve got your own support system cheering you on.


Tipsy Clock, $7, bedbathandbeyond.com

10 Know you’ve studied hard
It may be agonizing to look at the clock while you work, but it’s also really rewarding when you finish and say, “Wow, I studied for a long time!” It’s also good to keep track of how long assignments take you for when you want plan ahead for the future. And if you find that you’re taking a ton of time on something, you may want to get some extra help in that subject.

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by Brittany Berger | 2/1/2016
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